Stretcher-ambulance.



W. JASKIEW ICZ. STRETGHER AMBULANCE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

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W. JASKIEWICZ. STRETCHER AMBULANCE. APPLICATION FILED SEPTJI, 1914.

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Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

' W. JASKIEWIGZ. STRETOHBR AMBULANCE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1914.

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WILLIAM JASKIEWICZ, OF LAFAYETTE, COLORADO.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Application filed September 11, 1914. Serial No. 861,200.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM JAsKInWIoz, acitizen of the United States, residing at Lafayette, in the county ofBoulder and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Stretcher- Ambulances, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements instretcher ambulances.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a structure that isreadily moved about upon ground wheels and which is capable ofpositioning the occupant in a reclining or partially sitting posture.

A further object is to provide a stretcher with a spring-mountedmattress, the device being adjustable to allow the mattress to assumedifferent positions and being also provided with an adjustable headrest.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in theappended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which likedesignating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in itsextended reclining position. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinalsectional view thereof positioned in its chair formation. Fig. 3 isafront elevational view of the upper portion of the device partiallybroken away, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rodconnector forthe resilient supports of the mattress.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the device broadly consists ina main supporting frame 10 comprising parallel side bars having atransverse rod 11 at one end thereof which is employed as a handle andhaving the axles 12 of the ground wheels 13 journaled in the forkedforward ends of the bars whereby the device may be moved or.

trundled after the manner of a wheel-barrow. A rod 14 is also positionedtransversely of the frame 10 and in spaced relation and parallel to thehandle 11 and has two downwardly extending legs 15 journaled upon thesaid rod and adapted to rest upon the ground for supporting the rear endof the structure when positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1.

A back rest 16 is pivotally mounted upon the transversely positioned rod17 of the frame 10 and has extensions 18 projecting below the said frameand constituting seat members for further supporting the device. Atransverse cleat 19 is provided at the upper end of the back member 16,and the lower edge of a head rest canvas is secured to the rear edge ofthe said cleat by means of the cords 21. Arms 22 are slidably mountedupon the outer side of the back member 16 by means of bolts 22 carriedby the said back member and projecting through longitudinal slots 24 ofthe said arms 22,the arms being retained in their adjusted positions bymeans of the set nuts 25 upon the said bolts. A cross-bar 26 is providedbetween the outer free ends of the said arms, and has the upper edge ofthe head rest canvas secured within the longitudinal slot 27 thereof. Itwill thus be seen that regardless of the position of the stretcher, thecanvas 20 may be adjusted as desired by means of the adjustable armsheretofore described.

A mattress 28 of any desired form such as a fabric or canvas is securedto the frame and back member being flexibly suspended therebetween. Atransverse rod 29 carried by the frame 10 has the lower and rear end ofthe mattress secured thereto, while the upper forward end of themattress is provided with a similar rod 30, which rod is connectedbeneath the cleat 19 by a plurality of springs 31. A resilient springbase is provided for the mattress and consists of oppositely positionedsprings 32 having a central connecting bar 33. The lower ends of thelower pair of springs 32 are connected to the rod 14 by connection wires34 while the upper ends of the upper pair of said springs 32 areattached to the lower side of the cleat 19. The spring structure isthereby suspended beneath and in contact with themattress 28 thusforming a resilient bed bottom support for the occupant.

Side arm members 35 are pivoted together as at 36 and are also pivotedto the rod 17 as well as to the back member 16 as at 37 upon the innersides thereof, and adjacent the top cleat 19. Adjusting arms 37 areprovided at each side of the device being pivotally connected to the armat the pivotal points 36. The opposite ends of the adjusting arm areadapted to be secured to the, frame 10 by means of removable pins 38projecting through the arms 37 and positionable in any one of theperforations 39 of the said frame which may be desirable, it being notedthat these perforations are provided upon the opposite sides of theframe and in alinement with each. other. It will thus be seen that withthe opposite pins 38 positioned in the forwardmost pair of perforations39, the arms and 37 will be forced forwardly into their positions asshown inFig. l and with the back member tilted forwardly to its fullestextent, thus positioning the spring structure and its mattress 28 in astretched position and forming a substantially smooth unbroken bed. Byshifting the pins to any other pair of the said perforations 39, thetension of the mattress and its spring may be lessened, the most laxposition of the members being provided when the pins are positioned inthe rearwardly arranged perforations as illustrated in Fig. 2. It willbe seen that this shifting of the adjusting arms 37 and their retentionby the pins 38 also shifts the side arms 35 and the back member 16accordingly, while in some of the positions, such as the recliningposition shown in Fig. 1 the feet 18 will be out of contact with theground but in other positions such as the chair formation as shown inFig. 2, the feet 18 'are supportingly positioned upon the ground.

An adjustable strap member 40 may be provided if desired upon the frame10 and adjacent the lower end of the mattress, and whereby the occupantmay be strapped to the stretcher.

The complete operation of the device will at once be apparent from thepresent detailed description thereof, and while the forms of theinvention herein set forth are the preferred embodiments thereof, it isto be understood that minor changes may be made therein if desiredwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is 1. A stretcher comprising a frame, a back memberpivoted thereto, a top cleat pivoted upon said back member, a pluralityof connecting springs secured between the said their inner adjacentends, a mattress fabric having its lower end secured to said frame, andspring connectors between the upper end of said fabric and said back,the said fabric being positioned in flat contact upon the said pairs ofsprings.

3. In combination with the back support of a stretcher, arms slidablypositioned on the opposite outer faces of said support and havinglongitudinal slots therein, bolts carried by said support and projectingthrough said slots, set nuts upon the said bolt, a cross arm between theends of the said slidable arms, a fabric having its lower end secured tothe upper end of said back sup port, the said cross-arm having alongitudinal slot therein, and the upper end of said fabric beingsecured within the said slot of the said cross-arm.

a. A device of the class described comprising a frame, wheels supportingthe frame at its forward end, a handle at the rear end of said frame, aninclined back pivoted to the said frame and having relative movementtherewith, side arms pivoted together and pivotally connected betweenthe said back and frame, adjusting arms between said frame and sidearms, a spring structure between said frame and back, a mattress fabricsecured to said frame and resiliently attached to said back, and anadjustable head rest carried by said back, and constituting asubstantial continuation of the said fabric.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J ASKIEWICZ. WVitnesses:

WALTER OANNELBIN, CHEELI VVILGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

